Pattern-control mechanism for knitting machines



V. W. ANDEISEN PATTERN CONTROL MECHANISM FOR KNITTING IMKCJ'IINES Filed March 22, 1920 Patented Apr. 1'7, 1923.

VIGGO W. ANDEISEN, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BURSON KNITTING COMPANY, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PATTERN-CONTROL MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINE 8.

Application filed. March 22, 1920. Serial No. 367,915.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VIGGO IV. ANDEISEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pattern-Control Mechanism for Knitting Machines, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention re lates to straight knitting machines of the kindshown in Patent No.

990,595, dated April 25, 1911, and the 'primay object is to improve the pattern control mechanism described in said patent, with the view to obtaining a higher degree 1 of accuracy and to prevent any variation from a predetermined result. That is, the control mechanism governs actuation of the pattern drums, and consequently may be said to control the widening and narrowing 2 and the length of tubular work. In the event that the control mechanism does not actuate the pattern drums according to a predetermined operation, the resultant knitting] is not of the standard desired. The purpose of the present invention is to improve the control mechanism in certain respects as will be fully pointed out hereinafter so as to insure a predetermined operation and uniformity of the resultant knitted article.

Referring to the drawing,--.. 1 Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of part of the pattern control mechanism shown in Fig. 1 of the patent mentioned above and embodying my present improvements; and

Fig. 2, a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, omitting the cam shaft.

In this application, I have illustrated only such parts of a knitting machine as are necessary for an understanding of my improvements; and reference may be had to the patent mentioned above for a thorough understanding of the control mechanism with which these improvements cooperate. A brief description will be given, however, of the functionof the parts shown in the drawings. The back and face plates 5 and 6 respectively, together with the studs 7 on 51) which they are mounted in a stationary position on the main frame of the knitting machine constitute a supporting frame for certain parts of the control mechanism. Interposed between these frame plates and mounted on the stud. 7 is a plurality of sheet metal disks or plates having peripheral ratchet teeth and depressions as described in said patent. These ratchet j toothed plates designated generally by the character 8 are spaced apart by diaphragm 1 and dog-carrying plates designated by 9. The ratchet toothed plates are known as counting plates, and their function is to actuate certain mechanism, not shown here- 1n, which in turn causes the mutilated worm 10 to impart a partial rotative movement to the pattern drums. The worm 10 while continuously revolved by the shaft 11 actuates the pattern drums only at predc' termined intervals as determined by opera- (0 tion of the counting plates through the intermediary mechanism described in said patent. It follows, therefore, that while the pattern drums efi'ect widening and narrowing in the knitting, the length of the tubular work is governed by the counting plates by controlling the rotative movement of the pattern drums. In other words, the counting lates determine the number of courses. he pattern plates are actuated primarily from the shaft 11 through the agency of a cam 12, in the groove 13 of which is disposed an upstanding stud 14 carried by a lever bar 15 pivotally mounted at 16 on the main frame of the machine. 35 This lever bar carries a yoke or pawl carri'er 17 pivoted at 18 and having cars 19, which carry a pintle 20, upon which a series of ratchet toothed pawls is mounted. The pa-wls 21 and 22 are known as counting pawls, and 23 and 24 as pattern pawls. The mechanism thus far shown and described is fully disclosed in the above mentioned patent, and the operation will be manifest. As the shaft 11 revolves, the lever bar 15 will be oscillated. thereby reciprocating the paivls 21 to 24 inclusive, and causing certain of the ratchet toothed plates to be intermittently rotated. while others remain stationarv at times for reasons men- 1 tioned in said patent.

While the normal tendency of the pawls 21 to 24 inclusive is to rest in operative engagement upon their respective ratchet toothed plates and consequently actuate certain of said plates at each reciprocation of the pawls. I have provided novel means for holding one or more of said pawls at certain times in an inoperative position above the teethso as not to actuate its respective plate when reciprocated. Thus, when any pawl is reciprocated in an inoperative position. its counting plate will remain stationary and the particular course determined by the pattern drums will be duplicated so long as the drums remain stationary. In this manner by raising the pawls to an inoperative position at predetermined intervals, the length of the tubular work may be inlcreased and considerably less number of ratchet toothed plates are required for a given piece of work.

My present invention contemplates novel means for positively and accurately con trolling the raising and lowering of the pawls and consists in its preferred embodiment, of a pair of star wheels rotatable in unison, one actuated a uniform distance at eachreciprocation of the pawl carrier and the other shaped to govern the raising and dropping of the counting and pattern pawls at predetermined times. To this end I have provided star wheels 25 and 26 fixed to rotate with a stud 27, which is rotatably mounted on the face plate 6, the star wheels 25 and 26 being dis osed at the inner and outer sides of said gee plate respectively. The star wheel 25 is rigidly secured to the stud 27 while the star wheel 26 is shaped to fit the cutaway at the outer end of the stud and is constantly urged against the face plate 6 by means of a compression spring 28 am ranged on the stud as shown. Viewing Fig. 1, it will be noted that the periphery of the star wheel 26 is provided with ratchet teeth of uniform length and corresponding in dimensions to the teeth on the counting plates 8. A pawl 29 attached to the pawl carrier 17 engages the star wheel 26 and will rotate the same and likewise the star wheel 25, a distance equal to the length of one tooth at each forward movement of the pawl carrier. A pawl 31 attached to the pawl 21 engages the periphery of the star wheel 25 and is adapted to be raised and lowered by the teeth on the latter for raisin and lowering said counting pawls to and rom operative position. \Vhen the pawl 31 drops behind a tooth as shown in Fig. 1. the counting pawl 21 will be lowered onto its counting plates 8 so that upon the next forwardmovement of the pawl carrier. the counting plates will be rotated a distance equal to the length of one tooth. llpon the next succeeding forward movement of the pawl carrier, the star wheels 25 and 26 will be rotated the distance of one tooth, but the pawl 31 will be raised star wheel by the pawl 29 and star wheel 26,"

as will be obvious. In the present instance,

however, the teeth on the star wheel 25 are shaped to hold the pawl 31 elevated at each alternate actuation otthe star wheels. The spring 28 imposes such friction as to prevent accidental displacement and rotation of the star wheels from that determined by the actuating pawl 29. It will thus be seen that upon each forwardactuation of the pawl carrier, the star wheels will be positively rotated the distance of one tooth on the star wheel 26, thereby assuring that the teeth on the star wheel 26 will be properly moved for controlling the raising and lowering of one or more counting pawls, as may be desired. Otherwise, by actuating the star wheel 25 directly from the pawl carrier, there is a tendency and possibility of the star wheel actuating pawl to hold on the high point of a tooth at certain times, due to lost motion and wear in the mechanism and for other reasons, so that upon the next forward movement of the pawl carrier the star wheel 25 will not be rotated. This fault is remedied by the present construction as has been described above.

i It is believed that the foregoingconveys a clear understanding of my improvements, and while I have illustrated and described but a single working embodiment thereof. it should be understood that various changes might be made in the construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in I the appended claims, in which- I claim:

1. In a pattern control mechanism for knitting machines, the combination of a counting plate having peripheral teeth. a pawl carrier, means for reciprocating said carrier, a pair of concentric star wheels mounted to revolve in unison, one having peripheral teeth of the same length as those on said counting plate and the other having peripheral teeth of greater length. pawls on said carrier, one for engaging said counting plate and one each-for said star wheels. and means operated by the pawl engaging the second mentioned star wheel for moving the counting plate pawl into and out of operation.

2. In a pattern control mechanism for knitting machines. the combination of a. counting plate having peripheral teeth, a pawl carrier, means for reciprocating said ative relation to the first mentioned star wheel, and another adapted to be moved into and out of operative relation to the counting W plate by operation of a pawl element engaging the second mentioned star Wheel.

VIGGO W. ANDEISEN. 

